Is Untappd Killing Beer Culture Link
An interesting take on how the Beer-Check-In apps change the other behaviors around social drinking.
The time it takes to check-in and the impact that has on conversation
The usage of the app to check-in beers during festivals and provide a quick rating
The braggadocious attitude that the app encourages via social media
On point 1: I partially agree. Many apps take too long. But I don’t see that it impacts the conversation if you are talking about the beer. When I drink top-tier beer with my friends that also enjoy similar tastes, we talk about what we are drinking. Rating the beer is just another aspect of the experience. Rating a beer if you are not with other beer snobs is just boring. Don’t do that.
On point 2: This is the point of the festival. It’s up to you to decide if the tasting was sufficient. The app just gives you better recall later. Also of note: the last beer you drink at a festival is likely going to be rated higher than the first. Alcohol is funny that way.
On point 3: Pick better friends. I really only share my beer preferences with people I like. If they are acting like a dick on Untappd, then they are not someone I would follow. Oddly, choosing “friends” on social networks is very similar to choosing friends in meatspace. You don’t have to be friends with dicks.
The missing point 4: I’m very skittish about sharing my beer check-ins publicly. Sharing drinking habits among friends is not a problem. But I wouldn’t share what I drink with my insurance company. Before Glassboard died, that’s how I shared what I liked with friends. Now, I use DM’s with very select people. The data is still on a server somewhere but it’s out of context and much more difficult to extract meaning out of. Among people I know, I am in the extreme minority.